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BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


c-^> THE 


BY 


ALANSON  HOSMER, PHELPS, 


THE 


ftdsiiiis  of  ffe  fails, 

—  BY  — 

ALANSON  HOSMER  PHELPS, 

Commemorative  of 

"  ^ living  the  £aM  Spike" 

UPON    THE    COMPLETION    OF^THE 

California    ana    Wreaon    I  \ailroaa, 

—  AT—  . 

ASHLAND,  ORECON,  DECEMBER  17,  1887. 


Gilbert-  ii  Co.,  Klectlio  Power  Printers,  415  Market  St.,  S.  V. 


Jntromtetorn  Sentiment. 


^//i  /Ae  name  cf  Sue  vaiioud  zJr/iaurfUaC  a?ic/ 
&o?n?nelci(t/  tcate*  le/ile4e??tec/  nete  /tent  wa/ufclnuij 
<lX  Aave  f/ie  Aonol  to  rjfei  fo  (Pieacti  ana  wa/dwnia 
tue   /o//owc'/?y  3e??ti?ne?rf : 


Oregon  and  California,  this  glad  day 

Are  united  in  prestige,  progress,  and  glory, 

Never  again  divided  for  aye, 

While  flashes  electrie,  shall  tell  the  story 

Of  the  roll  of  their  wealth,  over  this  Highway. 


9Tf'J 


HE?73 


Pe  ^eWtoj  *f  i^e  fails. 


We  have  come  from  farm,  from  finance,  and  trade, 

Over  these  hills  in  a  royal  carriage, 
To  embrace  to-day  this  Oregon  maid, 

And  celebrate  here  her  Golden  State   marriage. 

Through  the  fair  vale  of  the  Sacramento, 
Over  her  domain  of  bread  and  of  wine, 

Over  her  mountains  where  gold  sleeps  below, 
Through  her  rich  forests  of  fir  and  pine. 

Where  Shasta  doth  rear  his  snowy  crown, 

In  splendor  above  the  encircling  plain, 
While  from  his  dark  clouds  in  tumult  comes  down, 

His  <ditterin<r  angels  of  hail  and  rain. 

We  descend  from  the  heights  of  Siskiyou, 

Where  far  on  their  base,  "rolls  the  Oregon,1' 

Mount  Hood  far  away  now  gleams  on  our  view. 
Of  mountains  of  beaut}',  the  paragon. 

His  icy  slopes  reflect  the  calm,  blue  light, 
Of  the  summer  sun,  on  the  wintry  snow, 

And  his  giant  shadow,  chaseth  at   night 
O'er  crags  and  valleys,  the  light  below. 

Then  hail  to  you  Oregon,  give  us  your  hand, 

And  witness  this  great  industrial  feat, 
Well  drive  the  u  last  spike,''' — unite  this  fair  land, 

Where  Northern,  and  Southern  Pacific  can  meet. 

We  honor  the  builders,  these  men  of  brain, 
Their  energy,  foresight,  their  vital  nerve, 

Spanning  the  Continent,  mountain  and  plain,. 

With  Lines  of  Steel,  the  world's  commerce  to  serve. 


All  hail  then  to  Stanford,  the  "grand  old  man". 
The  Huntingtons,  Hopkins,  the  Crockers  two, 

Able  Generals  of  Progress,  they  plan 
No  conquest  by  war,  to  peace  ever  true. 

And  praise  for  the  man,  the  chief  engineer, 

The  man  of  ideas,  the  skillful  Hood, 
Who  has  brought  the  Webfoot  and  'Friscan  near, 

Where  ere  forever  apart  they  have  stood. 

In  chivalrous  days,  knights,  valliant,  did  rise 
To  vanquish  wrong,  fighting,  just  for  pastime, 

We  have  a  knight,  alert,  Douty,  and  wise, 

To  construct  our  Railways,  to  fight  'gainst  Time. 

And  yet  another,  we  must  not  forget, 

His  name  ?    let's  see,  we  think  it  is  Brown, 

He'll  build  you  a  bridge  across  from  u  You  Bet," 
Or  he  will  build  you  a  mansion  in  town. 

Here's  to  the  man  of  the  Shovel  and  Drill, 

Just  now  his  name  we  cannot  recall, 
We  know  he  did  have  great  courage  and  will, 

To  delve  and  dig  through  such  a  granite  wall. 

The  Towne  of  this  u  System,"  his  word  we  find, 
Supreme  from  high  mountain  to  Ocean  shore, 

With  an  Aid  of  skill,  of  a  train-ed  mind, 
The  master  of  trains,  the  able  Fillmore. 

Joining  these  Rails,  we  circle  our  Nation 

With  bands  North  and  South,  from  far  East  to  West, 
Advance  the  age  of  Civilization, 

O'er  all  this  broad  Empire,  so  richly  blest. 

This  Empire  so  great,  we  pause  in  wonder, 

Our  victories  of  peace,  already  won 
By  faith  in  that  Flag,  we  all  dwell  under, 

In  this  fair  land  of  our  rich,  fruitful  sun. 


